The Jump

Virgin StartUp
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The moment everything changes rarely looks like success. It looks like risk. Doubt. A decision you cannot take back. The Jump is a podcast from Virgin StartUp, uncovering the real turning points behind building a business. From launching a travel business just before the world shuts down, to turning a kitchen table blog into a multi-million-pound brand - these are the moments founders are forced to make a call. Keep going. Change direction. Or walk away. Hosted by Ben Keene, each episode goes beyond the highlight reel to explore what it actually takes to build something from nothing. The setbacks, the pivots, the pressure, and the belief that carries founders through it. If you're thinking about starting something, or already in the middle of it, this is what the journey really looks like. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episodes

  1. 04/20/2022

    How Change Please turned coffee into a way out of homelessness

    The final episode shares a founder story that captures what The Jump is all about: seeing a problem, taking the leap, and building something that changes lives. Meet Cemal Ezel, founder of Change Please, the social enterprise helping people move out of homelessness through coffee. Cemal shares how he went from City trader to purpose-led founder, why the first version of Change Please did not work as planned, and what he learned about building a business where quality, impact and sustainability all have to matter. He also talks about receiving a Virgin StartUp loan, being mentored by Richard Branson on Necker Island, and why founders should start small, stay open to feedback and keep moving before everything feels perfect. For anyone wondering whether to take the leap, this is a powerful reminder: you do not need to have it all figured out to begin. Looking for support to start or grow your business? Virgin StartUp is here to help with funding, mentoring, and a community of founders building businesses across the UK. Explore resources, access support, and take your next step at virginstartup.org This episode is brought to you in partnership with Virgin Money, supporting founders with brighter business banking. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    42 min

  2. 04/20/2022

    How Oddbox turned wonky veg into a food waste movement

    Emilie Vanpoperinghe and Deepak Ravindran started Oddbox after spotting something simple on holiday: fruit and veg did not need to look perfect to taste good. What began as a small subscription box rescuing wonky and surplus produce became one of the UK’s fastest-growing food delivery businesses. In this episode of The Jump, Emilie and Deepak share how they tested the idea with early customers, built a grower-led model, used a Virgin StartUp loan to bring structure to the business, and handled a sudden surge in demand when Covid changed how people bought food overnight. It is a story about food waste, behaviour change, bootstrapping, logistics, and building a purpose-led business one odd box at a time. Looking for support to start or grow your business? Virgin StartUp is here to help with funding, mentoring, and a community of founders building businesses across the UK. Explore resources, access support, and take your next step at virginstartup.org This episode is brought to you in partnership with Virgin Money, supporting founders with brighter business banking. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    38 min

  3. 04/20/2022

    How Looks Like Me turned one child’s question into a casting agency

    When Selma Nicholls’ three-year-old daughter said she did not want to be brown anymore, everything changed. Selma realised that reassurance at home was not enough. Her daughter needed to see children who looked like her in films, adverts and culture. So Selma registered Looks Like Me and set out to change what representation looked like in media and advertising. In this episode of The Jump, Selma shares how she turned a deeply personal moment into a business, how a Virgin StartUp loan helped her create her first lookbook, and how rejection became fuel. From pitching brands with no industry roadmap to casting children for campaigns including Black Panther-inspired content and Beyoncé’s Brown Skin Girl, this is a story about identity, courage, motherhood, and acting on the idea you cannot ignore. Looking for support to start or grow your business? Virgin StartUp is here to help with funding, mentoring, and a community of founders building businesses across the UK. Explore resources, access support, and take your next step at virginstartup.org This episode is brought to you in partnership with Virgin Money, supporting founders with brighter business banking. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    45 min

  4. 04/20/2022

    How BYBI turned a kitchen table blog into a global skincare brand

    Dominika Minarovic and Elsie Rutterford did not set out to build a skincare brand. They started with a blog, a shared love of beauty, and a belief that what we put on our skin should be easier to understand. What began as kitchen experiments and DIY recipes became BYBI, a sustainable skincare brand now selling thousands of products a week in the US through Target. In this episode of The Jump, Dominika and Elsie share how they built a community before launching a product, used a Virgin StartUp loan to move from content to commerce, and grew from natural beauty outsiders into global brand founders. It is a story about friendship, proof of concept, sustainability, scaling, and building a brand that raises the standard rather than follows the category. Looking for support to start or grow your business? Virgin StartUp is here to help with funding, mentoring, and a community of founders building businesses across the UK. Explore resources, access support, and take your next step at virginstartup.org This episode is brought to you in partnership with Virgin Money, supporting founders with brighter business banking. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    41 min

  5. 04/20/2022

    How Vitae London made watches about impact, not status

    William Adoasi grew up loving watches, but he wanted to build one that meant more than personal success. After leaving a city career that lacked purpose, he created Vitae London, a watch brand supporting vulnerable children through education across Africa. In this episode of The Jump, William shares how his upbringing in South London shaped his ambition, why his father’s story inspired the mission behind Vitae London, and how a Virgin StartUp loan helped him buy the stock he needed to grow. From selling his first 13 watches to pitching Richard Branson live on stage, this is a story about purpose, product, representation, and building a brand that turns wealth acquisition into wealth distribution. Looking for support to start or grow your business? Virgin StartUp is here to help with funding, mentoring, and a community of founders building businesses across the UK. Explore resources, access support, and take your next step at virginstartup.org This episode is brought to you in partnership with Virgin Money, supporting founders with brighter business banking. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    40 min

  6. 04/20/2022

    How Flash Pack built, lost and rebuilt a £50m travel business

    Radha Vyas and Lee Thompson did not just find love on their first date. They found the idea for a business. Together, they built Flash Pack, a travel company for solo travellers in their 30s and 40s who wanted adventure, comfort and connection. After a bold viral campaign involving a selfie on top of Christ the Redeemer, the business took off, growing into a multi-million-pound company with a mission to create one million friendships through travel. Then Covid hit. In this episode of The Jump, Radha and Lee share what it felt like to watch revenue disappear overnight, how they handled administration, why they personally supported customers through the refund process, and how they found the strength to rebuild Flash Pack from the ground up. It is a story about love, focus, resilience, and what founders do when the business they have built is suddenly taken away. Looking for support to start or grow your business? Virgin StartUp is here to help with funding, mentoring, and a community of founders building businesses across the UK. Explore resources, access support, and take your next step at virginstartup.org This episode is brought to you in partnership with Virgin Money, supporting founders with brighter business banking. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    39 min
  • 6 Episodes

About

The moment everything changes rarely looks like success. It looks like risk. Doubt. A decision you cannot take back. The Jump is a podcast from Virgin StartUp, uncovering the real turning points behind building a business. From launching a travel business just before the world shuts down, to turning a kitchen table blog into a multi-million-pound brand - these are the moments founders are forced to make a call. Keep going. Change direction. Or walk away. Hosted by Ben Keene, each episode goes beyond the highlight reel to explore what it actually takes to build something from nothing. The setbacks, the pivots, the pressure, and the belief that carries founders through it. If you're thinking about starting something, or already in the middle of it, this is what the journey really looks like. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Information

  • Creator
    Virgin StartUp
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    6
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Virgin StartUp
  • Show Website
    The Jump